Workplace electric car charging: what employers should provide

As electric cars grow in popularity, workplace charging becomes more important. But employers must consider the type of charging equipment to be installed, its access, infrastructure, and energy costs.

AP Photo/Bill Wagner/File

An electric car charging station at Cascade Select Market in Castle Rock, Wash. There are four charging stations in the county, but only Castle Rock's Cascade Select Market station gets used on a daily basis. As electric cars grow in popularity, charging stations might need to be installed at workplaces.

Yet while it provides a convenient option for drivers--especially those without their own garages for charging at home--workplace charging can also pose management problems for the companies that offer it.

The more employees who take advantage of workplace charging in coming years, the more carefully employers must consider access, infrastructure, and energy costs.

Simply filling a parking lot with charging stations isn't always the best way to go, according to advocacy group Plug-In America, which outlined best practices for workplace charging in a recent blog post.

While not offering a one-size-fits-all approach, the group says it hopes to create a baseline for companies looking to promote electric-car adoption at a sustainable cost and with minimal environmental impact.